Cinnabar Theater in Petaluma announced today that long-time Artistic Director Elly Lichenstein would be stepping down from her post.

According to a Cinnabar press release, Lichenstein is leaving her position “to focus on specific artistic endeavors at the theater and to pursue personal projects in the greater North Bay arts community. She will be awarded the title of Artistic Director Emeritus for Cinnabar Theater and will continue to play a vital role within the theater. This change in structure for the organization will allow Cinnabar to better weather the financial strain that has been intensified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.”

Lichenstein has been affiliated with the company in one capacity or another for 45 years.

She states that she’ll “be reaching out myself in the future with a personal message and look forward to directing Cinnabar’s 2021/22 season opera and being part of the theater’s success for many years to come.”  

Cinnabar expressed their thanks to Lichenstein “for her years of dedication. The success of Cinnabar as the artistic heart of Petaluma is due in large part to the hard work and uncompromising dedication Elly has contributed over the last four decades. We simply would not be the company we are today without her.”

The theater is still currently closed due to COVID-19, with plans to re-open in the fall. Associate Artistic & Education Director Nathan Cummings and Executive Director Diane Dragone will lead Cinnabar Theater’s programming and operations, respectively.